I love you still
by JessicaRN
Summary: This was written for a fic challenge over at GA. I'll try to keep writing it. It's no where near completed but I don't have the attention span for these things sometimes. Please review! hugs and kisses Jess


Title: I love you still.  
Rating: PG13 for gratuitous use of the f-bomb.  
Spoilers: None that I know of.. I'm spoiler free :) Well, ok, maybe through season 2, just because I don't know what'll pop out of my mind.  
Words: 906

Kara walked quickly through the hallway, avoiding eye contact as she weaved through the crowds of people. Starting running, people start staring, her breathing, faster and faster, losing control.

_Stop looking at me. Don't look at me. Don't look at me! I'm choking! Oh gods, I'm choking, I can't breathe!_

Sanctuary near! _Finally!_ Door closed, leaning against it. Breathing slowing, tight ball in her chest begins unwinding. Eyes pressed shut tight, fighting the tears, concentrating on her breathing...

_In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. Over and over..._

She bounces her head off the door a few times. _Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid. Gah!_

Kara sinks to the ground, head falling into her hands. Finally her eyes open, readjusting to the bright light. She'd wound up in a store room. Spotting the Chief's still, she opens the spigot and laps at a few drops as they slowly emerge.

_Frakking Tigh! Must've just drained the bastard! _The jerry-rigged apparatus nearly falls over when she shoves it; lucky for her she catches it, there would be a mutiny if that machine broke...

"Lieutenant Thrace, please report to the CIC. Pass the word, to Lieutenant Thrace: Lieutenant Thrace, please report to the CIC." _Frak._

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Kara stood with the blank look of strained attention, listening to Tigh drone on. She knew the moment she'd walked into the CIC that he had indeed hit up the still; his stink reached her before she even saw him.

"Starbuck, what the frak were you thinking? Why do you always act so recklessly" He begins pacing around her, circling his prey. Her chest begins tightening. _What the frak... what the frak... ok, it's ok... breathe breeeeathe... _

"You are the most irresponsible viper pilot I've ever laid my eyes on! It's a wonder you haven't frakked up so bad the Chief had to hose you out of your cockpit!"

_Whoa. _

The last thing she remembers is Tigh, calling her name, "Starbuck?"

She wakes up in the medical bay, Lee standing over her.

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"Hey there."

Kara chokes out a raspy hello. _What the frak happened?_

"You know, if you needed a couple days off you could've just come to me."

_Keep smirking at me like that flyboy, I'll give you a couple days off... _"Actually, I have no idea what happened. One minute Tigh's chewing my ass off, the next I'm here."

"Ahem."

Both look up at Doc Cottle standing at the foot of the bed, cigarette seeming to defy gravity in the way it hangs from his lips.

"I think our patient here needs a little time, Captain."

"Message received Doc. Feel better 'Buck, I'll be back later on."

Lee walks away, Cottle pulls the curtain closed and sits on the edge of Kara's bed.

"Ok young lady, you have some explaining to do."

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"I already told you! I was in the CIC. Tigh was being his usual pleasant self. I woke up here. You know more than I do at this point!"

Cottle takes a slow drag on his cigarette.

"That's it? You're just going to sit there and stare at me? Well frak that! If you don't have any idea and I don't have any idea, what the frak am I doing here wasting my frakking time!" She begins tearing at the monitor leads, attempting to peel off the electrodes. "Motherfrakker! Son of a.."

"Those electrodes come off better under hot water"

She glared at him and yanks on her pants. She's halfway through the med station when she hears Cottle: "You know, this will just keep happening right? Shame if it'd happen when you're in a viper..."

Kara stops in her place, seething.

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"Tell me what happened."

_Grrr. _"I told you everything I know! I was in the CIC, I woke up here. The End. Period. Argh!"

"I meant 'Tell me what happened the first time.'"

Kara glared at him. She didn't know how he did it, but Cottle knew everything about everyone on that ship. I guess that's one benefit of confidentiality. Since Cottle was the only doctor in the fleet, he often became the therapist as much as the healer. _Frakking touchy feely bastards._

He knew the "touchy feely" stuff occasionally had physical ramifications. So he swallowed his pride and listened to the psychobabble.

_Frak._ "I felt like I couldn't breathe earlier... Before the CIC." She became very intent on studying her feet.

Sigh. "I was walking through Hallway B, right near Arms Locker 3C. My heart started racing, everyone was staring at me, I had to get away. I started running, just running, running to escape. I finally ducked into a supply room. I just stayed there, concentrating on my breathing until I calmed down. Then I was called to the CIC."

Puff. "Ok, what happened right you were walking through the hallway?"

Kara was staring blankly, hearing it over and over.. _"I love you still..."_

She shook her head violently, trying to clear it out. "I'm done here."

Cottle took one last puff on his cigarette and watched as she walked out of the medical bay. _She'll be back. _Sigh. _The question is: will she be back in one piece? _

Cottle snubs out his cigarette and walks away.


End file.
